


Blessings

by Zoya113



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Found Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 21:44:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18881842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoya113/pseuds/Zoya113
Summary: Emma takes Paul and Hidgens out for a fancy dinner





	Blessings

**Author's Note:**

> Hey I sort of proof read this one for once anyways this was based off a recommendation by Deadgranger but I have another idea coming up too! Always open to requests!

“Hey, Em?” Paul called, straightening his tie in the mirror for the fiftieth time. “This isn’t gonna be a big deal or anything is it? You’ve been getting ready for a really long time.”  
Emma’s first reaction was a mix of a shrug and a nod, but she caught herself just in time and shook her head. “No, it’s just a casual thing, it’s just a nice night out!”   
“I feel like I’m meeting your parents,” Paul laughed nervously. “I know I’ve met Hidgens before but it just feels special tonight.”   
Emma fumbled with the earring she was trying to put on before coming to stand next to Paul in the mirror. “Don’t get nervous,” she smiled reassuringly at him in the mirror. “Hidgens has met you before he’s not gonna make a big deal out of it. It’s just a nice outing.” She turned to him and straightened his tie herself before using it to gain enough leverage to stand on the tips of her toes to kiss him lightly on the lips.  
“Do I look alright?” She asked, turning around to show Paul the black dress she had chosen.   
“You always look beautiful, and this dress is incredible.”  
“It was a yes or no answer,” she pointed a finger at him. “I love you but don’t start pulling any of that romantic shit on me in front of Hidgens. He won’t know what to do.”   
“Neither would you,” Paul teased, having to straighten his tie out once more after Emma had pulled on it.   
“Ha, asshole. As if,” Emma grinned.   
“You couldn’t say anything romantic to save your life.”   
“I show my love for you by bullying you. You know that by now,” she threw her handbag over her shoulder.   
Paul put his hand around her shoulder, guiding her out towards the car. “Oh, I know. Trust me.”   
Emma elbowed him playfully. “That meant I love you,” she grinned. “See? I can be romantic.”   
“Nice try,” Paul chuckled, opening her car door for her. “You made the reservation right?”   
“Of course, it took me forever to get the night off work,” Emma nodded as she slipped into her seat and buckled up, drumming her fingernails over the car’s console anxiously. “It’s really nice, it’s that new place that opened up down the street from Beanies, the one I’ve been telling you about.”   
“Oh! Yeah, Melissa went there with her parents the other night actually, she said it was really fancy.”   
That didn’t comfort Emma much. “Maybe I should’ve chosen somewhere more acceptable for us. We aren’t that fancy.”  
“The Professor is sort of fancy!”   
“The Professor is not fancy. He’s a disaster and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”  
“Oh don’t say that,” Paul frowned. “Neither of you are disasters.”   
“I beg to differ, Paul.”   
When they got there, Hidgens was lingering outside the restaurant like some sort of thief. Emma saw him tense up when they parked the car and he crept nervously across the carpark to greet them, sticking to the shadows.   
“Hi, Hidgens!” She wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug much too big for her.   
“Emma, dear,” he greeted, seemingly relaxed by her presence alone.   
Paul looked on curiously. He didn’t think he had ever seen Hidgens wearing anything but his turtleneck and suit pants. He imagined his wardrobe had to consist of no more than three shades.   
“Do you want to go in?” Paul asked, slipping his hand into Emma’s.   
Emma was watching Hidgens expression carefully and decided to pull her hand back, letting them hang awkwardly by her sides.   
“Yeah, sure!” She fell back into her customer service voice.   
They entered and were immediately overwhelmed by the smell of rich foods.   
A family by the door were sharing a whole, shiny, red lobster and seafood platter that rested on a bed of lettuce and lemon.   
Nearby, a couple dined on fat steaks and salad, a large bottle of champaign as the table’s centrepiece.   
Hidgens gulped, tugging at the collar of his suit jacket.   
Emma took both of their hands, swinging them back and forth in her own to disguise her own nerves. “It’s going to be a really fun night,” she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.   
Paul squinted at the satin tablecloths. “I feel like a single fork here is worth more than my whole outfit put together.”   
Emma squeezed his hand harder. “That’s not what we’re here to worry about, babe,” she said with a forced grin.   
“We’re here to worry about something?” Paul raised one eyebrow but Emma looked away, catching herself up in a conversation with Hidgens.   
A waiter showed them to the nice table Emma had managed to reserve in the outside garden.   
The walls were covered with trestles that were cloaked in climbing ivy and fairy lights.   
“I chose it,” Emma announced, almost braggingly. “I’m romantic, ten times more romantic than you are,” she told Paul in a boasting whisper that Hidgens couldn’t hear.   
The waiter handed them their menus and poured their wines before vanishing back inside the restaurant, leaving them in an unsettling silence.   
“So, uh, Hidgens. It’s really great to be able to see you outside of campus. I mean, it’s great to be able to just sit and talk with you again. It’s been a while.”   
“Yes, I’ve heard a lot about what you’ve been up to from Emma,” Hidgens reciprocated the stiff, anxious greeting.   
“Well,” Emma spoke up, leaning forward to cut off their slow moving conversation. “I just thought it would be nice for Paul to meet Hidgens and for Hidgens to meet Paul properly,” a small sweat broke out on her forehead. “Y’know, without any of that Hive stuff between us.”   
Paul put his hand over Emma’s, hoping it would calm her down. He leant in close to her as Hidgens reviewed the menu. “Are you okay?”   
Emma nodded frantically, fiddling with her earrings. “I’m fine, Paul.”   
Hidgens seemed too intrigued by the menu, letting it take up all of his attention so that he wouldn’t be the one left with the burden of carrying the conversation. He managed to keep this up until someone actually took their order.  
“So, how did you get to know Emma?” Paul asked, trying to find a topic to hang onto in the sea of mutual anxiety.   
“Uh, me?” Hidgens slowly folded up the menu, setting his hands neatly in his lap. “Through college, of course. It was easy to tell she was struggling with things at first and I leant her a hand and-“  
“Professor,” Emma’s skin was flushed. “It’s embarrassing.”   
Hidgens chuckled, “oh nonsense, its not embarrassing to ask for help! She needed some extra tutoring, I provided it and in exchange she brought me groceries and you know she really went out of her way to help me out when I needed it, and not for extra credit either. It was just because she’s a truly, lovely girl,” he smiled at her because he knew she was embarrassed. “How about you?”   
“Beanies,” Paul nodded.   
Emma curled a loose strand of hair around her finger, tilting her head away and covering her face.   
“I went to Beanies when it first opened just to see if it was any better than Starbucks and I saw Emma and just found myself coming back to her everyday.”  
Emma hit Paul’s knee under the table and shot him an angry look. “I told you nothing romantic!” She hissed, red in the face.   
Somehow it was still endearing. Much to her dislike he dipped his head down to kiss her quickly.   
“Hey!” Emma raised her voice, flustered. She leant over and merged into Paul’s personal space to obscure Hidgen’s eye contact with him. “This dumbass kept buying shitty coffee off me. I thought it was because he was tired all the time, and then there was a musical apocalypse and he was a coward and wouldn’t kiss me when I was dying. That’s the story from my point of view.”   
“I wouldn’t say dying, Em,” Paul gently pushed her back into her own seat, a strong undertone of fear in his voice.  
Hidgens looked surprised, “uh.”  
Emma took a long sip of her wine. “Sorry, Hidgens. It’s not like that, I’m just anxious. Wow, sorry. I promise I’m exaggerating!”  
“It’s fine, Emma!” Hidgens and Paul said in unison.   
The professor glanced at Paul and stood up from the table. “If you can excuse me for one moment, I’m going to go find if this place has any water for us,” he eyed Emma’s empty wine glass before leaving the garden.   
Emma sighed, leaning back in her chair and groaning. “This isn’t going how I thought it would. I’m nervous, Paul.”   
“I can tell. What’s up?”   
“I just want you to make a good impression with him, a proper one. But I’m the one ruining it because it’s not going exactly how I planned!”   
Paul leaned in, resting his forehead against Emma’s. “It’s okay, hun. Listen, how did you expect this night to go?”   
“I thought you two would hit it off for real and you wouldn’t have to talk about me at all and you would just have something in common. Is it bad that I just want you two to get along?”   
“We get along!”   
“Paul, I can tell you’re just as worried as I am,” she glared until Paul pulled back.  
He shrugged, sipping at his drink. “I’m just worried he doesn’t like me. He probably has the perfect man in mind for you and what if that’s not me?”   
“Bullshit. Don’t be an idiot. You are the perfect man.”  
“Are you still mad I didn’t kiss you? I didn’t think you were in your right mind, you sounded pretty out of it.”  
“Listen,” Emma wiped the red wine off her lips. “I’m going to go find Hidgens, he should be back by now.”   
“Try not to worry so much. Everything is gonna go fine tonight Em. I’ll make sure of it.” He took her hand and kissed it lightly before pulling away. “Shit! Sorry, you asked me not to be romantic.”   
“It’s alright,” she pushed her chair out and shot him a tired smile as she headed for the door. “Thanks, Paul.”   
Of course only classical music played at this restaurant. She walked through the tables to the off putting yet deceptively calm tune of Erik Sadie’s Gymnopédie Number One. Everyone was wearing dinner suits or expensive dresses with extravagant makeup and jewels. Emma almost felt underdressed and she was wearing the most expensive dress she owned.  
She spotted Hidgens quickly, loitering over by the bar. She could feel eyes on her as she made her way down the aisles of tables in a rush that didn’t suit the atmosphere.  
“Hidgens!” She was breathless by the time she reached him and her leg was causing her more pain than it should have.   
“What’re you doing here?”   
“I could ask you the same question.”   
“Well this definitely isn’t water,” she pointed at his beer.   
Hidgens laughed. “Keen eye for someone on her second glass of wine.”   
“I’m not a lightweight.”   
“Yes you are.”   
They both sighed as the natural conversation fell away and the truth brought itself to light.   
“Are you stressed, Hidgens?”   
He nodded, finishing his drink. “I have a problem, dear.”   
“And what’s that?”   
“I don’t think Paul trusts me quite yet. I did try to, you know... I did some untrustworthy things to you back then.”   
“Hey, you weren’t the only person who tried to kill me. If we’re looking at it that way the whole of Hatchetfield owes me an apology!”   
“I know, but how can he expect me to keep you safe if I couldn’t do it when it was most important?”   
“Paul had a whole number about infecting me! If you trust him with my safety he can trust you,” she leant into his side to comfort him. “Paul looks up to you. He respects you.”   
Hidgens laughed uncomfortably at the idea.   
“I just want to make things work between everyone tonight,” Emma admitted. “Will you come back to the table?”   
Hidgens nodded reluctantly. “Our food has probably arrived and Paul will be wondering where we are.”   
Hidgens nodded and pushed his empty glass across the counter. He linked arms with her to escort back out to the garden.  
“How’s your leg?”  
“Giving me hell, just like always,” she joked as she limped. “It’ll get better soon though right?”   
“Not if you’re always putting pressure on it,” Hidgens advised. “Don’t you have two half days off work and school every week?”   
Emma nodded sheepishly. “But hey, life isn’t waiting for me. There are big things in the future, Hidgens,” she grinned excitedly.  
“Well then I’m looking forward to them,” he smiled politely back, wanting to share her enthusiasm but not understanding where it was coming from all of a sudden.   
“You’re back!” Paul smiled. “Our food came, yours looks good Professor.” He exchanged looks with Emma to make sure he was doing things right.  
“Thank you, Paul!” The professor smiled back, pouring the last of the wine into his cup just to stop Emma from having it. “It’s beef roast. It’s been a while since I’ve had a meal this big! I get caught up in so many things I never have the time! That reminds me, have you ever heard about the first time Emma cooked me dinner?”   
“And the last,” Emma shrugged with an acceptant sigh. “I melted the spatula somehow. I was just going to make burgers but I ruined like, half his kitchen.”   
Hidgens nodded with a laugh. “It was the thought that counts though. I had been too preoccupied to make dinner or go shopping that week. She was so sure she knew what she was doing.”   
“I didn’t know my way around your kitchen,” Emma swallowed a bite of her food with a grunt. “You two love watching me wallow in my failure.”   
“Oh, once she tried to cook dinner for me too.”  
“I don’t like that story, Paul,” Emma quickly cut him off.   
“Well, you’ll hear about it eventually,” Paul put on his most charming smile. “So, how does teaching Biology go for you? Any problem students?”   
“Tyler,” Emma quickly answered before Hidgens could deny it.  
“Tyler isn’t trouble, he just doesn’t pay much attention in class!”   
“Tyler has picked fights with me on several occasions, plus, he has a stupid haircut.”   
Paul laughed, leaning in for a quick kiss on the cheek. “That’s very typical of you to say.”   
Emma looked conflicted between pushing Paul away and going in for a second kiss. “Well yeah, I fucking hate Tyler.” She crossed her arms to accentuate her point. “He reminds me of every shitty customer I’ve ever had. We should get rid of him.”   
“I know you don’t like him but batting your eyes at me isn’t going to make me expel him from the course,” Hidgens chided.   
“Aw man,” Emma cut off a chunk of her dinner. “Well it was worth a try.” She was relieved when Hidgens and Paul both laughed.   
“Well, nows a better time than never,” she pushed her plate away and cleared her throat, catching both of their attentions. She grabbed Paul’s glass of wine and downed what was left, shaking her head to clear her nerves. “So, you guys better at least pretend this is nice even if you hate it because otherwise I’ll never live it down, so uh Paul, Hidgens,” she placed a hand on the table to steady herself. “I really have to let you both know that you guys are the best parts of my life.” She began raising her voice just to block out any premature reaction from either of them. “You guys are really like a family I never had and I asked you two out here tonight because I’d like to ask for a blessing,” she had started speaking so fast it was hard to keep up with her words.   
“A blessing? For what?”   
“Well- think about it! We just went through all that Hive shit and came out together but we’ve never talked about it and I want to talk about it!” Her fingers clenched at the tablecloth. “And I think maybe we should, just for a little bit...” she trailed off as if she wanted someone else to speak up but the way she looked at then ensured she was holding the floor. “Hidgens, we never talk about it but you know you’re like a father to me and I just wanted to say that out loud for you.”   
Hidgens held a hand to his mouth, “dear,” he begun, but Emma stopped him. “You don’t have to reply, I just want you to know. I’d have like, no fucking clue what I was doing if it wasn’t for you. And Paul! Okay, uh,” she reached across the table to grab Hidgens’ wine and drunk that as well. “I don’t even know where to begin! You of all people know I’m really shitty at uh, just saying nice things so you might have to stick with me for a second,” she laughed nervously. “But what I want to try and tell you is that you’re perfect for me and you’re too kind to me and you always know what’s best and you’re really just someone I could never imagine living without.” She looked incredibly conflicted for two seconds, trying to figure out if she could end it there or whether she had to continue talking. “So, uh, no, Paul! Sit down, you aren’t allowed to be taller than me right now because I’m not done speaking!”   
Paul sat back down, putting his arm around Emma’s waist instead to show his support.   
“I don’t really plan things out for the future, usually I just see how things go but I just need you guys to promise we’ll all stick together in the future.” She held her breath and slowly eased back down into her seat. “So, thanks for listening. You can say something now, I’m done talking.” She put her empty cup to her mouth for the last few drops of wine. “Any feedback or are you just gonna stare at me?”   
“You didn’t need a blessing for that Emma!” He shuffled his chair closer to Emma’s and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his head against her.   
“Just say yes, Paul. I had to this about this for weeks don’t make me regret it,” she lowered her head, tucking herself into Paul’s hug to hide her blush.   
“You can have it, you can have a hundred. You never even had to ask,” he was laughing giddily, his voice muffled by Emma’s shoulder.   
She had to wipe her eyes to make sure she wasn’t crying before she looked up at Hidgens.   
“Professor?”  
He was crying.   
“Professor!” Emma gaped, this time with more urgency.   
“Of course you can call me dad,” he wiped his eyes with his serviette, his lower lip quivered. He seemed too taken in his joy to say much else.   
Emma sank comfortably into her chair as her whole body relaxed. “Thanks, guys. Shit, that was really hard,” she panted. “I haven’t given a speech since I was in school!”  
“Well it was really nice, I wouldn’t expect that from you!”  
“What do you mean?”   
“Well, it was just pretty rich coming from ‘I show my love by bullying,’” Paul nuzzled Emma’s hair. “It was real sweet.”   
“Oh don’t make me sick,” Emma pushed Paul away with a sheepish yet angry look. “My speech is over and so is dinner, okay?” Emma pushed out her chair. “I’ll pay, don’t argue.”  
Emma lead the way back inside so she didn’t have to make eye contact with either of the men behind her.   
“She really loves you, you know,” she heard Hidgens murmur to Paul as she payed for their meal.   
“God that was expensive, you two should be lucky I love you guys so much,” she told them below her breath with a friendly wave goodbye towards the waiter who had served them.   
The second they were out the door Emma let out a deep breath. “Woo!” She cheered, pumping her fist up into the air and nearly hitting Paul in the face. “See!” She whipped around, standing on the tips of her toes but still relying on Paul to lean down for her to be face to face with him. “I told you I could be romantic, I told you and you didn’t believe me but I showed you!” She stretched her back to kiss him, throwing her arms around his neck and not breaking the kiss until Hidgens decided it was enough and took her collar, gently pulling her out of it.   
“Come on! Let’s go, I’m on a winners high right now!”   
“I think you’re just drunk actually,” Paul gave a breathless laugh. “You can really tell.”   
“Same difference!” Emma grinned, slipping down the street. “We’re going to Beanies, I’m gonna rub it in Zoey’s face!” She grabbed both of their hands, pulling them along up the street to Beanies. It was completely empty at this time of night. She swung the door open so hard the bell nearly broke.   
Zoey was standing behind the counter, her finger halfway through the motion of swiping but too shocked by Emma’s entrance to continue.   
“You got the night off work only to come into work?” Zoey asked, dumbfounded.  
“Shit! I was gonna say something clever first,” Emma grumbled. “Zoey, three large hot chocolates, please.”  
Zoey didn’t even look up from her phone. “I’m not making that for you, Em. Get around here and make them yourself.”   
Emma rolled her eyes but she was in too good of a mood to argue. “Grab a seat, guys.” She walked around the counter to the break room and came back with her green apron on over the top of her dress.   
“Busy night?”   
“Nah, dinner any good?”   
“Perfect!” Emma smiled, finishing up one of the hot chocolates. “Are you on by yourself?”   
“Yeah,” Zoey went on to complain about something but Paul and Hidgens caught Emma’s eye instead. They were laughing at some sort of joke one of them had told.   
“-don’t you hate those sorts of customers? Complete assholes.”   
“Yeah, assholes,” Emma agreed. She didn’t know what Zoey was talking about but she was pretty happy to settle on the fact that all customers were assholes. Except Paul, of course.   
She finished up the last two drinks and carried them over to the table. “Zoey, I’d like you to meet these guys.”   
Zoey looked up from her phone. “I’ve already met them before, that’s-“   
“This is the man whose going to walk be down to walk me down the aisle at my wedding and this is the man I’ll marry!”  
Zoey blinked, her gaze flicking down to look at Emma’s hands. “Did he propose?”   
“She’s in a good mood, she took us out for a really great dinner,” Paul explained. “Sit down Em, don’t bother Zoey.”   
“I’ll bother Zoey all I like.”   
“Listen if you’re sticking around you better help me close up.”   
“I’m not helping, this dress costs more than your whole pay check.”   
Zoey’s nose scrunched up and she scoffed. “If you’re not gonna help then you better get out of here the second you finish your drink.”   
“Trust me, I will.”  
“Keep an eye on the counter I’m gonna go on break,” Zoey rolled her eyes and threw her apron over her shoulder as she left.   
“Just can’t catch a break, huh?” Paul asked, sipping contently at his drink.   
“It’s okay, I don’t really mind,” Emma cupped her hands around her mug. “Not tonight, anyways.”   
Hidgens was already half finished with his drink and was beginning to get tired.  
“I’m truly thankful for this lovely night out, dear, we both are.”   
“Ooh, it was nothing,” Emma stirred her drink with her spoon. “I’m just happy you two thought it was nice.” She finished up her drink and made her way back over to the counter to start wiping down.   
“Ah, so you are going to help Zoey finish up?”   
“It only takes a few minutes really. It doesn’t bother me,” as she worked she listened to Paul and Hidgens exchange jokes and anecdotes quietly, their voices so low she could barely pick up their words and could only hear the calming rumble of their voices.   
Something told her life was going to be better from now on.


End file.
